2026 Einstein Fellowship

The Einstein Fellowship supports outstanding young thinkers who, in addition to producing superb work in their field, wish to pursue a project in a different discipline — following the example set by Albert Einstein.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineMay 15, 2026
• Study LevelPostdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorEinstein Fellowship
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

The fellowship includes:

• Living accommodations for six months in the garden cottage of Einstein’s summerhouse in Caputh, Brandenburg, only a short distance away from the universities and academic institutions of Potsdam and Berlin.
• The fellow will receive a stipend of 10,000 euros and a reimbursement of their travel expenses.

Requirements

• Candidates must be under 35 and hold a university degree in the humanities, in the social sciences, or in the natural sciences.
• At the end of the fellowship period, the fellow will be expected to present his or her project in a public talk at the Einstein Forum and at the Wittenstein Foundation.
• The Einstein Fellowship is not intended for applicants who wish to complete an academic study they have already begun.
• A successful application must demonstrate the quality, originality, and feasibility of the proposed project, as well as the superior intellectual development of the applicant.
• It is not relevant whether the applicant has begun working toward, or currently holds, a PhD. The proposed project need not be entirely completed during the time of the fellowship, but can be the beginning of a longer project.

Please note that the proposed project must be significantly different in content, and preferably field and form, from the applicant’s previous work. The fellowship is not meant to fund dissertation research.

Application Documents

The required documents comprise: 

• A CV
• A two-page project proposal, and two letters of recommendation.
• A cover letter is optional.

All documents must be in PDF format. If preferred, referees may submit recommendation letters directly to us at [email protected].

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• All applications must be submitted using the online form.

For more information, kindly visit the Einstein Fellowship webpage.